Teaching and Learning
NAPLAN 2024
The College has received our 2024 NAPLAN results and there is much to celebrate across both Year 7 and Year 9. In general, students have made significant growth across Reading, Writing and Numeracy with more students moving into the ‘Strong and Exceeding’ category than ever before. This is a testament to the way the students conducted themselves during the testing period and the true effort they put into their learning on a daily basis. The college also had a 98% participation rate which is outstanding and we thank the families for supporting the testing process.
As we know, NAPLAN is only a snapshot of what our students are capable of and doesn’t tell us everything we need to know about how students learn and what they are capable of. From here, our leaders and classroom teachers will start to look closely at the data and match it with the observations they make in classes, student work and internal assessments to ensure every child is being supported and challenged to reach their potential.
Taryn Godley
Assistant Principal - Curriculum and Pedagogy
Technology
Year 11 Food Studies - Mystery Meal
Recently, Year 11 students picked a mystery bag with a recipe and ingredients inside. The challenge for this recipe was to plate the meal exactly as seen on the Hello Fresh recipe card. We think they did a great job with their preparation, cooking, and plating to present these delicious meals.
Year 9 Laser - Modelling and Construction
The workshop is busy at the moment in Year 9 lessons, as students have started the construction of their wooden pencil box. Students have been able to plan the size of the box and if they would like to incorporate an acrylic or ply lid. To personalise the box even further, students have been using the laser to engrave designs on the box. Look out in the next newsletter to see the finished boxes!
Year 9 Textiles - Learning to Sew
Our focus at the beginning of the term was on learning how to confidently thread a sewing machine and stitch 3 samplers. This sampler involved them sewing a range of straight lines using different stitch types, demonstrating the ability to sew a corner, and finally the ability to sew 3 circles on top of each other.
Linking in with ECPS - Luggage tags
Two weeks ago we had 10 students from Edgars Creek Primary School visit the workshop and make a personalised luggage tag. They used Adobe Illustrator to design the tag, and our new laser to create the tag. Year 9 students who did Laser Modelling and Construction last term worked with the ECPS students, supporting them with using the new technology. As you can see, their designs are fantastic!
We also welcomed another group the following week. We can't wait to invite all students back next term to create other fun designs using the laser.
As you can see, students are having a great time in Technology during Term 3.
Performing Arts
Performing Arts in 2024 at ECSC has been its usual hive of activity, with aspiring actors and musicians from Year 7 to 10 rotating through their specialist subjects. In Year 7 and 8, drama students have been exploring expressive skills and a variety of different prompts for their performance assessments.
In Year 7, 8 and 9, music students have been gaining the skills to play specific instruments such as the ukulele, guitar, and keyboard, while also analysing the different elements of music. In Years 10 and VCE, music students are building the critical thinking and musicianship skills that are required for senior music studies. We hope to welcome our first ever Year 12 Music class in 2025!
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Excursion
In June, instrumental music students were thrilled to have the opportunity to witness the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) host an open rehearsal at Hamer Hall in the city. Students then went on to attend the Australian Contemporary Music Vault Museum at the Arts Centre.
Music Concerts
The Music Department has also hosted two successful music concerts in Semester 1. Our Year 7 and 8 Music Concert in May, and the Senior School Music Concert in June.
These concerts give classroom music and instrumental music students invaluable performance experience, and are a great way to celebrate their achievements with our community. We look forward to seeing you at our next concerts, The VCE & Year 10 Music Soiree on Wednesday October 23rd, and our End of Year All Stars Concert on Wednesday November 27th.
Seussical Jr.
By far the biggest item on our calendar for the year, Seussical Jr. brings to the stage some of Dr Seuss’ most famous characters, such as Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, the world of Whoville, and the Jungle of Nool. The cast have been rehearsing tirelessly since late last year, on school holidays and on Sundays. Students use the skills they have been learning in Performing Arts classes, as well as building on the success of our first ever college production in 2023 “The Next Big Thing”.
Seussical Jr. is only a matter of days away and it's not too late to get tickets. So come join us for a night in the PAC theatre and be prepared to be amazed by our wonderful students!
Arts
ECSC wanted to share some exciting updates on the early work coming out of our Year 9 Art elective classes.
Year 9 Ceramics
In our Sensational Sculpture class, students have made impressive strides in constructing their ceramic vessels. They are working with a heavily grogged stoneware clay, which supports more challenging hand-building techniques. These pieces, inspired by the mosaic work of Deborah Halpern and Dixie Friend-Gay, will soon be completed with vibrant glazes and mosaic tiles.
Year 9 Visual Arts
Meanwhile, students in the Creative Streaks class, have been deeply engaged in drawing and painting nature forms from direct observation. Their work captures the intricate details and beauty of the natural world, showcasing their growing skills in capturing fine detail.
It’s inspiring to see the enthusiasm and talent emerging from these classes. We are all looking forward to seeing how these projects develop further!
English
Book Week
Edgars Creek celebrated Book Week on the 19th - 23rd August. This was an opportunity to celebrate reading and the importance of literacy. It was great to see a range of students from Year 7 - 9 participate in the activities!
Some of the activities that ran were:
- Book cover re-design
- Creative writing activity
- Guess the teacher's favourite book quiz
- Book review writing task
- Book trivia quiz
Year 10 English
Recently, the Complete Works Theatre Company came out to ECSC and performed a live action of the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare for the Year 10 English students. The play puts mortality under the microscope and examines human temptations, ambition, and guilt. One of the greatest tragedies ever written, it provokes debate and stimulates discussion where students are able to analyse what issues in society Shakespeare was critiquing or reinforcing through his writing. Three actors came to the school and performed an abridged version of the play where they focused on exploring key scenes and played multiple roles to help students make links to the bigger ideas and issues in the text; fate vs humanism, appearance vs reality, power, guilt, ambition, masculinity, and tyranny.
Students had the opportunity to ask questions and extend their understanding at the end of the play, and the actors were fantastic at engaging students in the overall plot of the play. It was also great to see students making connections back to the events of play in the lessons after the performance.
VCE Literature
Year 11 Literature students recently visited the Bunjilaka Gallery at the Melbourne Museum as part of their study of the play Stolen by Jane Harrison. The play details the impact of the forced removal of Aboriginal children in Australia through the storytelling of five characters. While at the museum, students were asked to find part of the exhibition that resonated with them and made them feel or consider something. Students then reflected upon what being connected to, or disconnected from culture, felt like and related those ideas back to both the exhibition and the play. Here is what Ava, a Year 10 student studying Literature, reflected upon:
“My brief visit to Melbourne museum was worth my while only after the few minutes I sat in company with ‘The Creation’ by ENNESS, as I watched and contemplated what the meaning of the moving white bird could be. The visual cycle of the burning sounds and colours projected onto the flying bird, followed by the vibrant mixtures of the rainbow and sweet cawing sounds of a magpie made me wonder why this bird was so plain compared to its realistic study. I then realised that the white coloured bird, which allowed the projections of Indigenous culture to be seen, symbolised the part of life which we have a choice over. The magpie’s black and white pattern represents the dichotomy between what is set in life, and what we have space to fill in. ‘The Creation’, however, was left plain, as a pure representation of what The Indigenous Peoples choose to fill their lives with. Without the Indigenous projections and songs, the bird would be forever moving in place without its journey to fly. Once again, this suggests that without connection to culture and history, there would be very little to live for.
Both ‘Stolen’ by Jane Harrison and ‘The Creation’ reminds me of the lively breath of air I take in when reunited with one of my halves, as Sandy and I both struggle to find our place in the world and ENNESS actualises a life with connection and belonging.”
Students also had a great time exploring the Melbourne Gallery and Dinosaur Walk exhibitions.
Science
It has been a really exciting time for students in Science - we have had lots of excursions and experiments happening across Years 7 to 12. Check out the following updates:
Year 7
Students have been studying physics and learning about different types of forces with a specific focus on friction.
Year 8
Students have been studying physics and learning about energy transfer and transformations with a specific focus on heat transfer.
Year 9
Students have been studying chemistry and learning about different types of chemical reactions with a specific focus on acid reactions.
Year 9 students have also been in the process of choosing their Year 10 Semester 2 Science Streams for 2025. Next year, for the first time at ECSC, Year 10 students will have their choice of the type of science they study in Semester 2; students have chosen their stream based on their future VCE pathway:
Year 10 - Core Science
Students have been studying chemistry and learning about different types of chemical reactions with a specific focus on balancing equations and rates of reaction.
Year 10 - Chemistry Elective
Students have been learning about different types of chemical reactions with a specific focus on endothermic/exothermic reactions, chemical & physical change, balancing chemical equations and acid reactions.
Year 10 - Psychology Elective
Students have been learning about the different functions of the brain and completed a brain dissection!
Year 10 - Biology Elective
Students have been learning about cells and cell size with a specific focus on how cells work together in tissues and organs.
Year 10 - Physics Elective
Students have been learning about motion with a specific focus on Newton’s Laws and calculations.
Year 11 - Biology
Students have been studying patterns of inheritance and adaptations. Students attended an excursion to Melbourne Zoo where they investigated the Southern Corroboree Frog and Butterflies in preparation for their upcoming SAC.
Year 11 - Chemistry
Students have been studying proton and electron transfer with a specific focus on redox reactions and galvanic cells.
Year 11 - Physics
Students have been learning about motion and energy with a specific focus on momentum, Newton’s Laws, and graphing skills.
Year 11 - Psychology
Students have been learning about social cognition with a specific focus on conformity and behaviour.
Year 12 - Biology
Students have been learning about evolution with a specific focus on mutations, allele frequencies and selection pressures.
Year 12 - Chemistry
Students have been studying organic chemistry with a specific focus on organic compound analysis and reaction pathways. Students attended an excursion to Melbourne University where they had hands-on experience in operating IR spectroscopy and H-NMR Spectroscopy machines.
Year 12 - Physics
Students have been learning about light and matter with a specific focus on light and matter as waves and particles, and Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.
Year 12 - Psychology
Students have been learning about mental wellbeing where they completed a practical task on the effects of BAC compared with sleep deprivation on cognitive tasks and reaction time.
